February 15, 2009

I've never claimed to be a big opera fan, but I've been to three that I enjoyed and came to the conclusion that I like live opera. I saw "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Il Tabarro" most recently, and years ago "Madame Butterfly" when Gov. Lowell Weicker had a walk-on role in one performance playing a naval officer. And I saw "Master Class," a play about Maria Callas on Broadway.

As you can see, I haven't exactly been supporting opera. My musical tastes run mostly to straight-ahead modern jazz and some old rockers who still light my fires. I have friends who worked for Connecticut Opera and I'm saddened that they're out of a job. I've been through many a recession in my time, but this is by far one of the worst.

It's right up there with the combination recession/highest mortgage rates in history in 1980-81. I had just moved here in the middle of winter from Dayton, Ohio, and it was tough sledding. That recession started in the Carter administration. The next big one started in the George H. W. Bu ... Boo ... I still can't say that name. The administration before Clinton. Now, today, we have this one started by W. What's with that family, anyway? Why do they hate America?